Click on the the thumbnails below to see panorama photos
of the courtyard

This week marks the dedication of the Lenfestey
Family Courtyard in Mary Ann Cofrin Hall. The courtyard and its plantings
were made possible by a generous gift from the Lenfestey Family Foundation.
Mrs. Josephine B. Lenfestey and her late husband, Frederick J. (Ted) Lenfestey,
have been strong supporters of UW-Green Bay from its earliest days.

Like the rest of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, the
courtyard design demonstates ecologically responsible architecture. Rainwater
is captured from the roof for the cistern and the pond. Recycled utility
poles were used to build the trellis and recycled stone slabs surround
the pond and planters. The trellis will support native Virginia creeper
whose dense foliage will shade the west facing windows.

Native plants have been used throughout
the courtyard. Native species are better adapted to the local climate
and require less pesticides and water than many non-native species. Already
American Robins and Cedar Waxwings are feeding on Juneberries that were
planted in the courtyard. Elderberries and Mountain Ash are in flower
and will provide fruits for birds later in the summer.

Seven garden plots in the courtyard represent
suites of ecologically related native plants and cultivars found in the
Great Lakes Region. The Butterfly Garden features native prairie species
that are especially attractive to butterflies and their caterpillars.
The Northern Barrens Garden contains a variety of plants including Blueberries
and Sweet Fern that thrive in well drained low-fertility soils. The Tallgrass
Prairie Garden illustrates the variety of grasses and forbs that once
covered much of southern Wisconsin. The Sand Prairie Garden illustrates
the types of prairie that form on sand ridges or other sandy areas. The
Fern Garden contains several of our native woodland ferns. The Woodland
Garden contains trees that are typical to an early successional woodland.
The Native American Herb Garden contains mostly prairie species that were
used for medicinal purposes by Wisconsin tribes. The Heirloom Vegetable
Garden illustrates vegetables and flowers that were brought to Wisconsin
by farmers in the 1800s and early 1900s.

The Lenfestey Family Courtyard is already
popular with students and visitors looking for a quiet place to read,
study, or to just view the gardens.